Adam Rippon Is The First Openly Gay American Figure Skater To Qualify For The Winter Olympics

With the Winter Games coming next month, we are beginning to find out who has made the cut to compete in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Among the lucky few is the super cute 28-year-old Adam Rippon. In addition to being one of the most highly-skilled figure skaters out there, Adam is also the first openly gay American athlete in history to qualify for the Winter Games. 

Me with the love of my life (myself)

A post shared by Adam Rippon (@adaripp) on Nov 16, 2017 at 4:19pm PST

The title doesn't seem to be affecting him much, though. According to Adam, being a gay athlete is "like being a straight athlete, only with better eyebrows."

That's not to say he's not taking it seriously. Adam's also taking the time to use his platform to be a role model to others who deserve to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams despite their differences. "Growing up, I really didn’t have a lot of role models. And I said, if I was ever given the chance and the platform, I would share my story," he said. "Because I don’t really care what other people think of me. I’m able to go out there and I’m really able to be, like, unabashedly myself. And I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves to know that it’s OK."

Thank you, Chicago! Great time at #skateamerica2016. Onward and upward ??‍♂️???

A post shared by Adam Rippon (@adaripp) on Oct 25, 2016 at 8:19am PDT

As for how he feels to have made the team, Adam is quite ecstatic to compete. "I feel that my experience will help me have my best performances at the Olympic Games, and it feels amazing to say that," he said on Sunday, shortly after being chosen.

I for one am very excited to watch Adam compete. I'm not a huge fan of figure skating, but I could watch him make his moves all day long. He's got a hot body, a cute face to go with it, and he's pretty fucking flexible. 

Plus he's right, he does have some nice eyebrows.